Poor waste collection rate highlighted

Nearly a third of occupied homes in this country are not using, or have not been offered, a waste collection service, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA has called on the Government to make it state policy that all householders avail of a waste collection service.

Among those who are paying bin charges, the amount of household and light commercial waste being generated has fallen by 16% since 2007 — when waste generation was at its peak.

And, in spite of an increase in population, the amount of household waste being treated at landfill has dropped by 5% while recycling of packaging has risen to 74% over the same period.

Overall, the country’s municipal recycling rate has hit 38%, a 3% increase on 2009 and inching ever closer to the EU27 norm of 40%.

Despite fears in the past that Ireland would not be able to meet its 2010 EU Landfill Directive target for diversion of biodegradable municipal waste, that target was achieved last year.

However, the EPA has warned that despite the improvement in household recycling rates, “there remains considerable distance to reduce the landfilling of household waste to the national target of 50% by 2013”.

When it comes to packaging waste though, Ireland is ahead of the pack with a recovery rate of 74%.

The EU target was 60% in 2011.

However, Ireland is failing to meet EU End of Life Vehicle Directive targets for reuse, recovery and recycling of vehicles and their components.

The 2010 National Waste Report also shows how the country is becoming increasingly aware of waste as an energy source.

Use of waste as an energy fuel grew by 20% from 2009 figures to 183,000 tonnes in 2010.

Commenting on the report’s findings, EPA director general Laura Burke said: “Ireland is also making good progress towards achieving its EU targets in areas such as packaging waste, waste electrical goods and batteries.”

While Ireland has met its 2010 target for the diversion of biodegradable waste from landfill, the more stringent EU targets coming into effect in 2013 and 2016 under the Landfill Directive will be much harder to achieve and will require continued investment in the infrastructure needed to treat biodegradable waste.

The EPA has warned that Ireland needs to substantially reduce the amount of food waste going to landfill, in order to decouple waste growth from economic growth so that when the upturn comes, waste won’t rise again.